Ruined cities are much more than a sea of rubble. Some places—major temples, towers and fortifications—will have survived in better conditions than others. In other places, the advanced decrepitude of the ruins create areas of heightened danger.

Use the lists below, to add depth and flavour to the characters’ exploration of a ruined city.

Evidence of Prior Expeditions

The characters are vanishingly unlikely to be the first adventurers or explorers to reach and search the ruined city. Such cities draw adventurers, explorers, sages and other other curious folk like manure draws flies.

1. A crude fire pit ringed with now-blackened stones taken from the ruins pierces the ground in the rough centre of this area. Larger stone blocks—perhaps used as seats—have been dragged close to the ash-filled pit.

2. A flutter of movement catches a random character’s eye. Investigations, reveals the filthy, shredded remains of a tent snagged on the remains of a tumbled stone wall.

3. Dried blood coats the dusty floor and crumbling wall, here. Perceptive characters can determine the stains are only a matter of weeks old.

4. A splintered arrow, its blue fletching withered and dusty, lies on the ground. The arrow is of elven manufacture and clearly not ancient.

Lost Treasures & Trinkets

Ruined cities loom large in the minds of avaricious adventurers as places heavy with the loot of ages past. In their minds, if the place is truly abandoned, such treasures might lie where they were dropped or hidden ages ago simply waiting for their new owners to come along and claim them.

1. A sheltered section of wall has withstood time’s remorseless onslaught better than much of the rest of the ruins. Here faded fresco yet survive. A few sections of the fresco glimmer in the light. Perceptive characters realise the fresco was painted with paint comprising crushed gemstones. Careful explorers could harvest some of the glimmering paint.

2. Covered in thick moss and lichen, a statuette fills a small hidden wall niche. Investigation—involving scrapping off the moss—reveals the statuette to be a marble bust depicting a noble member of the race once dwelling in the city.

3. A secret treasure niche pierces the ground in the corner of his area. Perceptive characters realise a flagstone is loose and can pry it up with little effort. Within lies a mouldered sack containing a store of silver and gold coins minted when the city was in its heyday.

4. The heraldic device of the city decorates several stones or bricks (as appropriate). At night, the runes emit a faint glow equivalent to that given off by a candle.

Minor Events

Ruined cities are rarely completely abandoned. Strange creatures may slither, creep or fly through the ruins. Other times, the weather, the characters’ over-active imagination or even time’s remorseless action may conspire to create minor events of note.

1. Dark clouds scud across the sky, plunging the ruins in a cold and shadowy twilight. Deep, brooding shadows gather among the tumbled walls and fallen masonry like predators gathering to hunt their prey. When the dark clouds move away the shadows dissipate but the ruins seem sightly chiller than before to sensitive characters.

2. The wind gusts strongly. As it moans through the ruins, the wind picks up dust and grit; dust devils dance about the party throwing grit into the characters’ eyes, ears and nostrils. The dust devils last for but a few minutes before the wind dies.

3. All background noise—the sound of the wind, the harsh cries of birds in the sky above and so on—abruptly cease. The resultant silence is pregnant with malice and foreboding; it almost seems like the ruins are holding their breath—and waiting for something horrible to happen.

4. The scrabbling sound of claws on stone reaches the most perceptive character’s ears. The sound comes from behind a pile of high rubble. The sound could be nothing more than a lone scavenger picking through the ruins in search of food or an enemy creeping towards the party.

Ruin Dressing

Ruined cities are not without places and features of interest. Of course, some places such as ruined churches, crumbling wizard’s towers and fallen citadels will be more interesting than other inconsequential places. However, wherever the characters venture in the ruined city they will come across minor features of interest.

1. Part of this wall is particularly high compared to others nearby, and leans dangerously to one side. Any explorer with half a brain can tell the wall is dangerously unstable. This is a good place to lay an ambush or trap.

2. A huge tree lies on its side, fallen straight through a building.  The tree’s massive trunk has smashed the building’s walls and roof and rubble lies scattered about. The fall could be relatively recent, or the tree could be dead and rotting when the characters arrive.

3. A field of virulent thorn bushes with spikes several inches long cluster thickly together, blocking easy progress. In places, the thorn bushes are twice the height of a grown man. Perceptive characters spot several small tunnels—perhaps forced by animals—wending their way through the bushes.

4. An obviously hastily piled, slightly lopsided stone cairn stands in the lea of two walls. A crude wooden marker, from which hangs a rusting helmet, marks the place as a grave. No inscription provides a clue to who lies within the cairn.

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This article is an extract from 20 Things #48: Ruined City. Add the book to your GM’s toolkit today! Alternatively, check out the 20 Things Archive for more handy, flavoursome and time-saving 20 Things articles ready for immediate use in your campaign.